Wicked is on track to make a huge splash at the box office later this month, but there’s one thing that’s already causing fans to get emotional ahead of the musical’s release, and that’s star Ariana Grande, who says she decided to use her full name in the credits for a very personal reason. Grande stars as Galinda Upland, who later goes on to become Glinda the Good Witch of the North, opposite Cynthia Erivo’s Wicked Witch of the West. Directed by Jon M. Chu, the first part of the duology is set to premiere on Nov. 22, with the second half debuting next year on Nov. 21.
During an interview with Justin Hill on The Streaming Service podcast (seen below), Grande was asked the significance of using her full name, Ariana Grande-Butera, after using her professional moniker for so long. Her answer spoke to the importance that the stage musical meant to her when she was young. “It’s my little girl name,” she said, before adding:
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Original Wicked Star Offers Glowing Reaction After Seeing the Movie Musical
The broadway icon has offered their verdict on this month’s big screen adaptation.
“I just feel like this experience was such a homecoming for me. I feel like I came home to myself in a lot of ways, through what I learned from Glinda, from Elphaba. And, you know, that was my name when I went to see the show when I was 10 years old. And it felt like a really lovely way of honoring that. It felt really full circle, and it just felt like something I wanted to do.”
Grande dropped the hyphen from her name when her acting began to take off, and she appeared in the Nickelodeon series Victorious. From there she’d go on to star in its spin-off, Sam & Cat, while also fostering a successful music career. Her most recent big screen appearance came by way of 2021’s Don’t Look Up, where she was joined by an ensemble cast consisting of the likes of Leonardo DiCaprio, Jennifer Lawrence, Timothée Chalamet, and Meryl Streep.
Wicked’s Director Praises Ariana Grande’s Performance
No stranger to dealing with big stars like Grande, Chu’s past work includes Crazy Rich Asians, Now You See Me 2, and G.I. Joe: Retaliation. When it came time to direct Wicked, he said in an interview with SFX (via GamesRadar) that she was the “most interesting person for Glinda” thanks to her commitment to the role.
“From the moment she walked in you could feel that she was the most interesting person for Glinda. It wasn’t Kristin Chenoweth [Broadway’s original Glinda], but it was Glinda. From the moment we started shooting she lived in the bubble of Glinda. I’m not sure she’s even out of the bubble yet! I was always talking to Glinda.”
He would go on to praise Grande’s comedic timing and emotional range, adding that this is a whole new side of the star we’ve yet to see, and that he can’t wait to reintroduce her to us all. “The fact that I get to introduce the world to this new Ariana Grande, that’s what making movies is all about. It’s like, here’s your new star, let me show you. You think she’s a star already but you don’t even know.”
Box office projections for Wicked have it on track to take in anywhere from $75 to $150 million this Thanksgiving weekend, which would put it right up there with a couple of other big November openings, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever and The Hunger Games: Catching Fire. Needless to say, the Arianators will be out in full force to support their beloved star, making sure they help Wicked rise to the top of the charts, just like they’ve done with all of her music.
- Release Date
- November 22, 2024
- Cast
- Cynthia Erivo , Ariana Grande , Michelle Yeoh , Jeff Goldblum , Jonathan Bailey , Ethan Slater , Marissa Bode , Bowen Yang , Bronwyn James , Keala Settle , Peter Dinklage , Aaron Teoh , Grecia De la Paz , Colin Michael Carmichael , Adam James , Andy Nyman , Courtney Mae-Briggs , Sharon D. Clarke , Jenna Boyd